The Community and Supportive Services (CSS) division of the HUD HOPE VI program developed this page to provide CSS Staff with links to news, research and other resources on a variety of topics to which they can refer for supplementary guidance and information. The page is organized alphabetically into various categories, e.g. demographic information, grants, health, resident-specific topics, sustainability, etc.

Please check this site regularly for news and updated information and take a moment to review HUD’s Strategic Plan. We are proud to present the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2014-2018. HUD’s overall mission is to achieve a central goal of expanding opportunity for all Americans. Goal 3 of HUD’s Strategic Plan is to Use Housing as a Platform for improving the quality of life for our residents.” Additional goals include Strengthen the Nation’s Housing Market to Bolster the Economy and Protect Consumers; Meet the Need for Quality Affordable Rental Homes; Build Strong, Resilient, and Inclusive Communities.Please take a look at our News and Events page, for the latest information in public housing. Our goal is to inform, and keep you connected to all things CSS! If you have items that you feel would benefit the CSS community and would like to share, or have any questions or comments about this page, please send them to Sandra.Norcom@hud.gov.

Please let us know if you have additional resources you would like to include!

HUD webpage for Senior Citizens - This webpage includes a variety of links and helpful information related to housing (public housing and other housing), care-giving, health, protection against fraud and discrimination, and other federal, state and local resources.

Financial Literacy / Asset Building

What’s new in the world of Financial Literacy:

Our partner, Treasury is focused on increasing the financial capacity of America’s youth. By financial capability, we mean helping young people gain the knowledge, the information, the skills, and the opportunity to make good choices about financial matters in the near term, and throughout their lives. Many young people don’t get important lessons on how to manage their money and plan for their future at home or at school. As the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans noted, “When young people receive their first paycheck, they are primed to learn more about money management and have a unique opportunity to make a timely and informed choice about their new income.” Research from across disciplines has pointed out that connecting young people to the financial mainstream enables them to build and carry out “healthy financial behaviors” into adulthood.

Helpful Tips

A number of programs are underway to connect youth jobs programs with financial capability. Here are some findings from these programs, and some links to places to learn more: :

Engage high-level community support:

A recent National League of Cities guide recommends making financial capability a priority. Local leaders can strengthen the financial empowerment of youth and the community by aligning financial institutions and other partners, and spotlighting the value of financial capability for young people.

Encourage direct deposit of pay into a safe account:

Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund data shows direct deposit, combined with financial education, has been shown to increase youth savings. It also helps eliminate costly check cashing and establishes good habits. Cities can encourage youth to use an existing account or partner with banks or credit unions to offer accounts for youth. Enrollment is the best time to sign-up youths for accounts. America Saves for Young Workers can provide tools and guidance.

Seek out high quality financial education partners:

Many communities have existing non-profit or other financial education organizations that can provide train-the-trainer, much like FDIC’s MoneySmart, or direct education to youth, like MyPath. The federal government offers free online resources, such as the Financial Literacy & Education Commission’s MyMoney and the FDIC’s Money Smart. Many non-profits provide free online resources as well. For example, US Conference of Mayors offers education resources and incentives as part of its DollarWise Summer Youth Jobs Contest. Mobile apps, online games, contests, and peer learning are all being used to get young people excited about learning financial concepts and effectively managing their money. For example, The MindBlown Labs’s game Thrive N Shine and the Doorways to Dream Fund, have seen positive results from gamification using mobile apps.

In case you missed it, HUD collaborated with other Federal Agencies in November 2014 to introduce their Notice on Empowering Low-Income Families through Financial Literacy and Asset Building. Those collaborating agencies are the U.S. Department of Treasury, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This Notice introduces a variety of tools and resources to assist with financial empowerment.

Non-government resources identified in this Notice will be featured in a follow-up webinar. To view the webinar, presenters’ slides and other materials, please see the links below. If you would like to hear future presentations on specific topics related to this presentation, please send an email to Sandy Norcom, Grant Manager, Sandra.Norcom@hud.gov.

Money Smart is a free financial education curriculum designed to help low- and moderate-income individuals outside the financial mainstream enhance their financial management skills and create positive banking relationships. Money Smart has reached over 3 million consumers since 2001. Research shows that the curriculum can positively influence how consumers manage their finances, and these changes are sustainable in the months after the training. The curriculum is available in formats to teach to consumers or for consumers to learn online, for different age groups, and in nine languages.

Money Smart for Older Adults is an instructor-led training program developed jointly by FDIC and CFPB. The module provides awareness among older adults and their caregivers on how to prevent elder financial exploitation. It is also intended to encourage advance planning and informed financial decision-making.

Help for parents and caregivers who want to grow children's money skills (CFPB and FDIC). The CFPB and FDIC have launched a joint education and awareness campaign to help parents and caregivers talk with their children about money and prepare them for a bright financial future. Your organization can help raise awareness among parents and give them tips for getting started. You can post updates and graphics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. You can pull from a series of articles and use them in your blog posts, newsletter articles, e-bulletins, web posts, and any other form of communication your organization uses. The social media posts and articles point parents to a compilation of online resources to help with money conversations, at consumerfinance.gov/parents. On an ongoing basis, messages will be tailored for parents to help them take advantage of key opportunities to talk with their children about money. To join the campaign and start sharing tips and resources, please e-mail financialeducation@cfpb.govor communityaffairs@fdic.gov. Please include “Parents and Caregivers” in your subject line.

Numerous studies have detailed the fact that many low-income individuals do not have banking accounts and have poor or non-existent credit. Many Housing Authorities have gotten their partners to begin Financial Literacy classes as a crucial part of a self-sufficiency curriculum.

Grants and Other Funding Opportunities

Funding Opportunity Announcement

The Assets for Independence (AFI) program is administered through the Office of Community Services within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Department of Health and Human Services. AFI enables community-based nonprofits and government agencies to implement and demonstrate an assets-based approach to giving low-income families a hand up out of poverty. AFI projects help participants save earned income in special-purpose, matched savings accounts called Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). AFI project families use their IDA savings, including the matching funds, to achieve any of three objectives: (1) acquiring a first home, (2) capitalizing a small business, (3) or enrolling in post-secondary education or training.

Government entities are eligible to apply for an AFI grant, but only if they submit an application jointly with a nonprofit organization that has 501(c)(3) status. PHAs are encouraged to review the eligibility criteria and to take advantage of the upcoming Webinars, listed below.

The U.S. Department of Labor announces a new Grant Application and Award Database

The U.S. Department of Labor has an online, user-friendly Grant Application and Award Database, http://www.dol.gov/dol/grants/ . This database may be used by Choice Neighborhoods grantees in further coordinating their employment-related efforts. They can use this tool to quickly determine recent DOL grants awarded in their communities, and upcoming grant announcements. Please note that the database has not been updated to include new FY13 grants awards, however, that information will become available in the near future. For now, any grants awards made after September 1, 2011 are reflected.

The following are links to sites that can help PHAs identify grants and other funding opportunities:

A. Federal Government

News Release - Obama administration awards nearly $500 million in first round of grants to community colleges for job training and workforce development

Grants.gov - This site allows you to register to receive federal funding announcements as well as apply for federal grant opportunities

Neighborhood Networks - A HUD program that focuses on delivering computer and Internet technology to residents of Multifamily and Public Housing. The web site provides weekly funding announcements from both private and public sources in areas of self-sufficiency, literacy, job-readiness, etc.

Health

The National Center for Health in Public Housing is pleased to announce that the 2015 Health Center and Public Housing National Symposium will be held September 28-30, 2015, at the Westin Alexandria in Alexandria, VA. This year's theme is Healthy Together: Community Collaborations in Healthcare Delivery. Please save the date on your calendar for this educational, inspiring, and exciting event!

The annual symposium presents an opportunity for health center staff and other health care providers, public housing resident advocates, and community members to learn about the challenges residents of public housing face. Training and workshop sessions highlight HRSA program requirements as well as health priorities, emerging health topics, innovative outreach strategies and programs to provide quality care to underserved populations.

The Affordable Care Act and Adolescents: New Issue Brief and Infographic

The Affordable Care Act was signed into law in March of 2010. Millions of Americans have already benefited from many of the law’s provisions including coverage for preventive health services, a ban on lifetime limits, and insurance coverage for young adults. The expansion of Medicaid coverage and launch of the Health Care Marketplace will help millions more obtain insurance coverage in 2014. The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation created a series of research and issue briefs to analyze the impact of the Affordable Care Act. The most recent brief in this series, "The Affordable Care Act and Adolescents," and this accompanying infographic describe how the law addresses the unique health needs of adolescents. Both were developed in conjunction with the HHS Office of Adolescent Health.

On behalf of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, please find information about and observances for National Substance Abuse Prevention Month!

June 16, 2011 - Obama Administration releases National Prevention Strategy
Today, members of the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council, including Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin (Chair), as well as Senator Tom Harkin and Domestic Policy Council (DPC) Director Melody Barnes, announced the release of the National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy, a comprehensive plan that will help increase the number of Americans who are healthy at every stage of life.

Published by Disability.gov, this guide contains information to help young adults understand what it means to be legally in charge of their health care and how to stay healthy as they grow into adulthood. Includes quizzes on being an adult with special needs, life as an adult, talking with doctors, plus additional web resources on college and work. Read the guide (PDF, 17 pages).

The Affordable Health Care Act and What it Means to those low-income Families We Serve

A brief, The Supreme Court ACA Decision: What Happens Now for Adolescents and Young Adults?, developed by the National Adolescent and Young Adult Health Information Center, was funded in part through the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration.

Job Training/Job Readiness

Jobs Plus Pilot Program - The purpose of the Jobs Plus Pilot program is to develop locally-based, job-driven approaches to increase earnings and advance employment outcomes through work readiness, employer linkages, job placement, educational advancement technology skills, and financial literacy for residents of public housing. The place-based Jobs Plus Pilot program addresses poverty among public housing residents by incentivizing and enabling employment through income disregards for working families, and a set of services designed to support work including employer linkages, job placement and counseling, educational advancement, and financial counseling. Ideally, these incentives will saturate the target developments, building a culture of work and making working families the norm. Read more...

A newly issued Training and Employment Notice (TEN) providing guidance and suggestions on how to better access and/or leverage transportation resources for businesses and job seekers

Listserves

Neighborhood Networks

The Digital Literacy portal provides free training resources for practitioners working in the field of computer/digital literacy. It also provides resources for job-search and job training, as well as opportunities to provide content and rate existing content. Featured on the Web site is a "In the Community" section where several Neighborhood Networks centers are highlighted including the HA of the City of Pittsburgh's HOPE VI Bedford Dwellings Neighborhood Networks center. To post your own story, please go to : www.digitalliteracy.gov/communities and click on "Suggest an Article."

To access technical assistance guides, funding information, a Web site creation tool, the START electronic business plan, and much more, please go to the Neighborhood Networks Web site.

Partnerships

HUD’s Strategic Plan 2010-2015 envisions housing as a platform for improving residents’ quality of life. This notice strongly encourages Community Planning and Development (CPD) funding recipients and Public and Indian Housing (PIH) funding recipients, including Public Housing Authorities (PHAs), to forge partnerships with public and private agencies at the federal, state, and local levels to ensure that HUD-assisted residents are connected to health care, education and social services, as needed.

Resident Services/Service Coordination

Do you have residents enrolling in LIHEAP? Winter is the time of year when many residents apply for heating assistance - and they will often be asked for proof of income to complete their application.

Did you know that they can now request this information online? The Social Security Administration site is the fastest and easiest way to verify Social Security benefit information (including Social Security, SSI, and Medicare).

National Resident Services Collaborative - Established by several national, regional and local community development organizations to improve and increase the delivery of resident services for families in affordable housing other useful resources from the National Resident Services Collaborative

Other useful resources from the National Resident Services Collaborative

Resources

Canivote.org - This is a cool and invaluable tool for voter empowerment! Canivote.org is a tool that allows anyone nationally to check their voting status and update on line if that your state has the ability.

State-by-State Listing of Online Access to Benefits - The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) has updated its report "Online Services for Key Low-Income Benefit Programs: What States Provide Online" for several key low-income benefit programs including Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, child care assistance and CHIP. Virtually all states have made basic program information on the five main state-administered low-income benefits available to the public via the Internet.

Sample Memoranda of Understanding

Section 3

Section 3 is a HUD regulation that states that when Housing Authorities use HUD funds they should, to the extent feasible, hire public housing residents, Youth Build graduates, and other members of the low income community to perform. In addition, when contracts are lost, Section 3 firms should be considered.

Sustainability

This sustainability plan was generously provided to us by the Indianapolis Housing Agency. Since there is no HUD-prescribed format for sustainability plans, it is being provided as an example. The new HOPE VI development is built, the funds have been expended, all the units are occupied. Great! But how do you maintain services, how do you make sure that the new development doesn't become what it once was? A key step in this process is to develop a Sustainability Plan that details how you and your partners will sustain needed services over the upcoming years.

A Toolkit for Federal Staff Who Work With Comprehensive Community Initiatives

cciTools for Federal Staff - Click on "Find Tools and Resources" on the top bar, select the buttons "For use by CCI Sites" and "Create a Sustainability Plan", then click on the "Find" button, lower left, to see a list of tools and resources that will help you create a sustainability plan.

Transportation

Volunteers

Volunteers can provide invaluable support, energy and creativity for your agency or organization. The following programs and resources will help you access dedicated volunteers with a strong desire to serve your community.

AmeriCorps awards grants that partially fund the volunteer programs of organizations and local government agencies. The organizations receiving AmeriCorps grants are responsible for recruiting AmeriCorps members, who receive small stipends to serve for up to three years. A cash and in-kind match is required. Read brief for PHAs on AmeriCorps Programs and Public Housing Authorities, given by Kaitlin Nelson, Federal Career Intern, Office of Public Housing Investments.

SeniorCorps also provides grants that enable organizations and agencies to engage adults aged 55 and older as volunteers. SeniorCorps funds three different programs: the Foster Grandparent Program, Senior Companion Program, and RSVP.

A study currently is underway on the sponsoring of AmeriCorps members by PHAs. A report on the study, including information on PHA best practices and lessons learned, will be posted soon.

The Points of Light Institute is "a powerful, integrated national organization with a global focus to redefine volunteerism and civic engagement for the 21st century." The institute provides a number of different resources along with a list of programs on their site for organizations in search of volunteers.

Youth/Education

Since 2002, Step Up For Students has offered scholarships for low-income Florida students in grades K-12. The program, which administers the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program, empowers families to choose the best learning environment for their child’s learning needs. Families may choose between a scholarship worth up to $4,880 to help cover private school tuition and fees, or a scholarship worth up to $500 to assist with transportation costs to attend a public school in another county. (Scholarship amounts for the 2013-14 school year are noted. The amount may increase for the 2014-15 school year.) To be eligible, a student’s household income must qualify for the free- or reduced-price school lunch program (185 percent of the federal poverty guidelines).Children who are in foster care or who are homeless may also be eligible.

The Affordable Care Act and Adolescents: New Issue Brief and Infographic

The Affordable Care Act was signed into law in March of 2010. Millions of Americans have already benefited from many of the law’s provisions including coverage for preventive health services, a ban on lifetime limits, and insurance coverage for young adults. The expansion of Medicaid coverage and launch of the Health Care Marketplace will help millions more obtain insurance coverage in 2014. The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation created a series of research and issue briefs to analyze the impact of the Affordable Care Act. The most recent brief in this series, "The Affordable Care Act and Adolescents," and this accompanying infographic describe how the law addresses the unique health needs of adolescents. Both were developed in conjunction with the HHS Office of Adolescent Health.

There are 2.7 million children in the United States with an incarcerated parent. On June 12, 2013, the Federal Interagency Working Group on Children of Incarcerated Parents (COIP), led by the Domestic Policy Council (DPC), officially launched its website http://findyouthinfo.gov/youth-topics/children-of-incarcerated-parents. Here service providers, families, and caregivers can access information and tools for better supporting the needs of COIP, and follow the federal government’s efforts regarding improving outcomes for this population. Read more...

Immediate Openings: Job Corps is Now Enrolling!

Job Corps is seeking new applicants to fill immediate openings and restore its 125 centers nationwide to full capacity.

A U.S. Department of Labor program, Job Corps provides eligible students with academic and career technical training, room and board, counseling and mentoring services, and basic medical care. Young people ages 16 through 24 who meet low-income requirements can enroll in the program at no cost to them by calling (800) 733-JOBS [5627].

Job Corps graduates train in the skills needed to start a career, enlist in the military, or move on to pursue higher education. Students have the opportunity to earn a high school diploma through partnerships with local school districts or a high school equivalency credential. Job Corps also provides career counseling and transitional support for up to 21 months after graduation.

Most Job Corps students reside on-center in dorms, but some who live nearby can choose to commute. The most successful Job Corps students stay in the program 1 to 2 years, depending on their pace of achievement and whether they choose to pursue advanced training.

Job Corps is seeking help from the workforce system to spread the word to young adults who could qualify and benefit from this program. Please make sure that those who work in the One-Stop system helping jobseekers know that Job Corps is enrolling. Also, we ask the Youth programs and providers to spread the word, especially to the summer youth employment programs around the country.

If you know of someone age 16 through 24 who may be a good fit for Job Corps, call (800) 733-JOBS [5627] or visit Job Corps’ website or Facebook page to learn more. Click here for a flier about Job Corps’ open enrollment.

Want to know more? Click here for an e-brochure with additional information about Job Corps. You can find a Spanish version of the brochure here.

USDA - Summer Meals Program

Summer is a time of the year that so many young people look forward to – school it out! But a young person cannot enjoy the summer if they are hungry. We know that when school is out, millions of low-income children no longer get a healthy breakfast or lunch. The U.S Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) summer meals program helps to fill that gap. Please see the attached USDAofficial press release for the Summer Meals Program which informs you on how to become a sponsor of a summer meals program, and a great promotional flyer that can be distributed throughout neighborhoods so that families know where to go to obtain nutritional meals while school is out.

USDA’s summer meals programs operate through partnerships between USDA, state agencies and local organizations. Local sponsors, such as local government agencies, faith-based and nonprofit community organizations, and residential and non-residential camps provide free meals and activities to eligible low-income children during summer months. USDA reimburses approved sponsors for serving meals that meet Federal nutritional guidelines. Sponsors receive payments from USDA, through their State agencies, based on the number of meals they serve. All meals are served free to eligible children.

HUD is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help promote the summer meals program, and ensure that all young people living in low-income households have access to nutritional meals while school is out. No child should ever go hungry, and your efforts will go far in assuring that children living in those households have access to nutritional meals while school it out during this summer.

To learn more about SFSP and how to become a sponsoring organization, click here.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Division of Youth Services, recently launched our “Credentials for Youth” tool, https://youth.workforce3one.org/page/credentials, on ETA’s Youth Community of Practice to help workforce professionals identify promising occupations for youth served by the workforce system, and the credentials that help youth attain them.

Attaining postsecondary and occupational credentials is critical for youth to be successful in the 21st century economy. Good-paying jobs in high demand industries generally require postsecondary education or training. Plus, the earnings bump that accompanies postsecondary credentials is well established. To help workforce professionals identify promising occupations for youth served by the workforce system, and the credentials that help youth attain them, ETA has developed the Credentials for Youth tool on Workforce3One’s Youth Community of Practice. This tool, available at https://youth.workforce3one.org/page/credentials, provides a step-by-step process for helping youth attain credentials in high demand occupations. First, it connects users to resources that can help them find high demand occupations in their local area using labor market information. It then helps practitioners identify promising occupations for youth and determine which of those occupations have pathways to career advancement. Finally, the tool helps discover the credentials required for the identified promising occupations and provides certification information about specific occupations, including links to certifying organizations. In addition to the step-by-step process, the Credentials for Youth tool also provides local examples of programs that help youth attain credentials.

Various efforts are underway that specifically prepare youth for disasters and how to best protect themselves and others during emergencies, particularly when they become separated from their families. These resources are helpful to youth living in any part of the US; however, it is particularly helpful to those youth living in areas frequently hit by hurricanes, tornados, severe flooding etc. Please take some time to learn about the various resources available.

The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs (IWGYP) works to identify and engage organizations that can a play a role in improving the coordination and effectiveness of programs serving youth. IWGYP promotes the achievement of positive results for all youth through collaboration, dissemination of information, and development of an overarching strategic plan for federal youth policy. Visit www.FindYouthInfo.gov and provide input on the Strategic Plan for Federal Youth Policy.

Published by Disability.gov, this guide contains information to help young adults understand what it means to be legally in charge of their health care and how to stay healthy as they grow into adulthood. Includes quizzes on being an adult with special needs, life as an adult, talking with doctors, plus additional web resources on college and work. Read the guide (PDF, 17 pages).

The iCivics program (at www.icivics.org) engages students through online games and interactive resources. On this free website, students can step into the roles of government actors and can find ways to participate in real-world civic action

Free on-line tools that can be helpful to low-income parents with school-aged children:

Step Up For Students - Step Up For Students provides legislatively authorized K-12 scholarships to economically disadvantaged families in Florida, giving them the freedom to choose the right learning environment for their child.

Youth service systems at all levels must work collaboratively in designing and coordinating programs focused on helping the nation's neediest youth to successfully transition to adulthood. To better understand this population, States must be aware of the most current information on the youth they serve. Click on the links below to find reports, statistics and other information on targeted youth. Contact us about Transitioning Youth.

GreatSchools and HUD will team up to give parents living in public housing or who receive rental assistance through the Housing Choice Voucher Program the tools to make informed educational choices for their children and become even more involved in their children’s education. For example, GreatSchools will provide housing authorities informational materials, including a video tutorial, tailored to housing authorities and parents. GreatSchools has also developed a factsheet outlining the essential steps to choose the right school. HUD will encourage housing authorities’ executive directors to offer these resources to parents and include a portal to GreatSchools on their agency website.

Based in San Francisco, GreatSchools is a national non-profit organization that supports parents through a wide variety of web-based resources available at www.greatschools.org. They provide a database of school performance information for more than 200,000 public, private and charter schools across the U.S. Their user-friendly website also has information about how parents can help their children achieve success in PreK-12, including subject-area worksheets, homework help and college preparation.

The HUD-GreatSchools partnership is part of HUD’s greater commitment to using housing assistance to improve educational outcomes.